Emergency credit
Borrow electricity, repay on your next purchase.Run out of credit at a bad moment? Borrow electricity and repay on your next purchase.
A short-term advance for when a top-up is not possible right away. It carries a fee.A short-term advance on your prepaid meter, for when a top-up is not possible right away. It carries a fee, and it is deducted automatically from your next token purchase.
- ETB 200
- Maximum advanceMaximum advance
- 7%
- One-time feeOne-time service fee
- Instant
- To the meterCredited to the meter
Credit is borrowing, not a discount. If you can wait and top up normally, that is cheaper. See the costCredit is borrowing, not a discount. If you can wait and top up normally, that is always cheaper. See what it costs
How it works
Borrow now, repay on the next purchase.
- 1
Sign in
Your limit depends on the account, so borrowing starts with signing in.
- 2
Confirm the terms
The amount, the fee and the total you repay are shown before you agree to anything.
- 3
Credit reaches the meter
Applied within a minute. No token to type in — the balance updates on its own.
- 4
Repay on your next top-up
The outstanding amount is deducted from your next token purchase automatically.
What it costs
The full terms. Nothing else is charged.The full terms, in one place. Nothing else is charged.
- Maximum advance
- ETB 200.00
- Service fee
- 7% of the amount
- Interest
- None
- Repayment
- Next token purchase
- Late penalty
- None
- Early repayment
- Free, any time
- Advances at once
- One
A worked example
- You borrow
- ETB 100.00
- Service fee (7%)
- ETB 7.00
- You repay
- ETB 107.00
- Next ETB 300 token givesNext token of ETB 300 gives you
- ETB 193.00 of energy
Borrowing repeatedly gets expensive
The fee applies every time. Taking credit every month costs meaningfully more over a year than buying slightly larger tokens.The fee applies every time. Taking credit every month costs meaningfully more over a year than buying slightly larger tokens. If your meter runs out regularly, the tariff calculator can help you plan a top-up amount that lasts.
Open the tariff calculatorWho can borrow
- Prepaid residential meters, active for at least 6 months.
- No advance currently outstanding on the meter.
- A recent history of top-ups, so there is something to repay from.
- A verified account, since the debt is tied to a named account holder.
Postpaid customers do not use credit. If you get a monthly paper bill, pay your bill here.Postpaid customers do not use credit. If you receive a monthly paper bill, you already consume first and pay later — pay your bill here.
How repayment works
- The advance sits on the meter as a debt, not as a bill.
- Your next token purchase clears it first, then converts the remainder to energy.
- If the purchase is smaller than the debt, the rest carries over and no energy is added.
- No new advance is available until the previous one is fully cleared.
You can clear an advance early at any time, or by dialling 905. No penalty, no extra charge.You can clear an advance early at any time from your account, or by dialling 905. There is no penalty and no extra charge for early repayment.
It is a debt, not a top-up
The fee is real money. Use it when the alternative is sitting in the dark, not as a routine way to pay for electricity.
No interest, no penalties
One flat fee, charged once. Nothing accumulates if repayment takes longer than expected, and early repayment is free.
Free help on 905
If credit was applied but never reached the meter, or the balance looks wrong, call 905 with the meter number.
Common questions
- Do I need to sign in?
- Yes. An advance is a debt, so it has to be tied to a verified account holder. Your limit is shown once you are signed in.
- How fast does it reach the meter?
- Usually under a minute. There is no token to type in; the meter balance updates directly.
- What if I never top up again?
- The debt stays on the meter. It does not grow, and there is no penalty, but the meter cannot receive new credit until it is cleared.
- Can I borrow twice at once?
- No. One advance at a time, cleared in full before another is available.
- Is there interest?
- No. A single service fee of 7% is charged when the credit is issued. Nothing accrues after that.
- I have a postpaid meter.
- Credit does not apply. Postpaid customers already consume first and pay on a monthly bill.
Still stuck? Call 905 free, 24/7, or contact customer care.
Advance up to
ETB 200